Use of low-frequency-cleavage restriction endonucleases for DNA analysis in epidemiological investigations of nosocomial bacterial infections.

摘要: Epidemiological investigations of bacterial infections are generally based on multiple phenotypic markers that often difficult to verify. A more general and reliable method is genomic DNA analysis by restriction endonucleases. However, the commonly used endonucleases produce too many fragments for correct separation agarose electrophoresis. In contrast, simple electrophoretic patterns obtained after digestion low-frequency-cleavage pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, making it easier compare numerous strains from same species. This technique was investigate an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus outbreak in a urologic department bronchial colonization artificially ventilated patients Pseudomonas aeruginosa intensive care unit. The allowed clear distinction between epidemic self-contaminating these different epidemiological situations.